This Roasted Miso Cauliflower recipe is packed with rich umami, a subtle sweet and salty flavor, and luscious glaze. This is a perfect side for a busy weeknight dinner or even a special dinner party.
Miso paste packs a ton of sweet, fruity, earthy and funky flavor to soups, meats and vegetables. When whisked together with a handful of simple ingredients, it makes for an incredibly flavorful marinade and glaze. Toss some of this mixture with cauliflower florets, then roast in a hot oven or even air fry, and you get umami-packed cauliflower bites.
I have been singing the praises of miso for many years. It was one of my go-to ingredients when developing recipes for food magazines. At home I use it in salad dressings, marinades and even for Miso Butter. I even mix it with tahini for a tasty Miso Tahini Dressing. And like those recipes, this miso cauliflower is so simple and delicious, I think you’ll want to make it over and over again.
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Ingredients that Matter
Miso cauliflower uses a handful of a pantry staples, fresh ingredients and some specialty ingredients you’ll find in the Asian section of your grocery store. Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:
- Cauliflower. I recommend starting with a medium head of cauliflower and cutting it yourself into bite-sized florets. You can certainly use pre-cut florets, just be sure to inspect the bag and make sure it’s not starting to go bad. And what about frozen cauliflower? Yes, you can use frozen florets, just be sure to thaw and drain off any excess water before marinating.
- Miso. You will find miso in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, typically near the tofu. This fermented soybean paste has a pungent, fruity, salty and slightly sweet flavor. I recommend using the milder white miso as opposed to red miso.
- Soy Sauce. Use reduced-sodium soy sauce to cut back on the sodium a bit (this recipe has no other added salt, but it’s plenty salty enough).
- Maple Syrup. A touch of maple syrup compliments the natural sweetness in miso. You can also use regular granulated sugar or even honey.
- Neutral Oil. A splash of neutral oil, like canola or olive, adds a touch of richness and encourages browning.
- Garlic. A couple cloves of garlic packs tons of flavor to the marinade.
- Black Pepper. I typically don’t add a ton of heat to my recipes (I’m trying to make recipes my young daughters will enjoy), but a big pinch of black pepper helps round out the flavors quite well.
- Cornstarch. A bit of cornstarch is tossed with the marinated cauliflower just before roasting or air frying. This helps the marinade stick to the cauliflower and create a bit of a crust.
- Scallions. I love finishing this dish with some fresh sliced scallions for presentation, plus I love the slight onion flavor it adds to this umami-rich side.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This recipe comes together very quickly, plus there is plenty of options for making it ahead. Here are the steps to make this recipe:
Start by making the marinade. Add the miso paste, soy sauce, maple, oil, garlic and black pepper to a medium mixing bowl.
Whisk this mixture until it’s smooth. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the marinade for later use.
Cut the cauliflower into bite-size florets. You may need to cut florets in half or quarters, depending on their size. If using frozen, be sure to thaw, drain and pat the florets dry.
Add the cauliflower to the marinade and toss well to combine. From this step you can either marinate for just 10 minutes (preferably 30 minutes) or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight. Note, when refrigerating overnight, some water will escape from the cauliflower. I recommend discarding this excess liquid. When ready to cook, transfer the cauliflower to a zip top bag and add the cornstarch. Toss well to coat the cauliflower in cornstarch.
To roast, preheat the oven to 450F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the cauliflower to the prepared baking sheet and roast until golden brown and slightly charred, about 30 minutes, stirring halfway.
To air fry the cauliflower, preheat an air fryer to 400F. Add the cauliflower and spray lightly with cooking spray. Air fry until golden brown and slightly charred, 8-10 minutes.
Remove the cauliflower from the oven or air fryer and cool slightly. Brush with the reserved marinade.
Sprinkle with miso glazed cauliflower with scallions. You can serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Either enjoy cold out of the refrigerator or reheat in the oven or air fryer.
Hint: You can easily adjust the doneness of the cauliflower. If you want less char and more lightly roasted, roast for 25 minutes and air fry for 8 minutes. For a deeper char (which I prefer), aim for closer to 30, even 35 minutes, in the oven, and 10 minutes in the air fryer.
Substitutions
There are plenty of options for adjusting this recipe. As written, this recipe is vegetarian, dairy-free and even vegan. But if you want further tweaks, consider these substitutions:
- Cauliflower – I recommend starting with a whole head of cauliflower and cutting it into florets yourself, but you can instead use pre-cut florets. I recommend using at least 20 ounces of pre-cut florets for this recipe. you can also use frozen cauliflower, just be sure to thaw, drain and pat it dry before using.
- Gluten-Free – You can make this recipe gluten-free by using tamari instead of soy sauce and looking for miso labeled gluten-free. Not all miso is gluten-free as many are made with wheat-based grains.
- Garlic – Not everyone loves garlic (and some people have a hard time digesting it), so you can simply leave it out if you’d like. You could also swap out the garlic for ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Maple Syrup – If you don’t want to use maple syrup, try instead using honey or granulated sugar. Or, if you’d like, simply leave out the sweetener all together.
- Kid-Friendly – This recipe is hit or miss for kids, but you can certainly make it more kid-friendly by not using black pepper and cooking it on the lower end of the ranges to avoid too much char, which can taste bitter.
Equipment
My favorite basket-style air fryer, hands down, is the Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer with Odor Erase Technology. It has a few features I really appreciate, including the odor erase technology, which does a nice job of eliminating some of the odors when air frying fish or other strong smelling foods. It also has a window with a light inside so you can check in on your food as it cooks.
Storage and Serving
Both air fryer cauliflower and roasted cauliflower taste best right out of the oven, but you can also store it in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 4 days. I recommend reheating it in the air fryer or hot oven until just hot. You can also enjoy it cold out of the refrigerator. I do not, however, recommend freezing it as I think a lot of cooked vegetables don’t do well in the freezer.
Miso cauliflower tastes great with vegetarian proteins or meat! Try it as a side for our
Pulled Chicken in a Dutch Oven
Spicy Chicken with Ginger, Citrus and Soy
Air Fryer Chicken Katsu with Homemade Tonkatsu Sauce
Top tip
Do not forget to save some of the marinade to brush on the cauliflower after it comes out of the oven or air fryer. It’s this final brush of marinade that makes the roasted miso cauliflower glazed and delicious.
FAQ
Miso may not be gluten-free as it is often made with a wheat-based grain. You may find some miso that is gluten-free, however, so just be sure to read the label.
Yes, miso is typically a vegetarian and vegan ingredient.
I recommend cranking the air fryer to 400F and cooking for about 8 minutes.
More Sides
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PrintRecipe
Roasted Miso Cauliflower
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 5 cups 1x
Description
This Roasted Miso Cauliflower recipe is packed with rich umami, a subtle sweet and salty flavor, and luscious glaze. This is a perfect side for a busy weeknight dinner or even a special dinner party.
Ingredients
- 1 medium head cauliflower
- 2 Tbsp. white miso paste
- 2 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp. water
- 1 Tbsp. neutral oil, such as canola or olive
- 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 1 tsp. maple syrup
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray liberally with cooking spray.
- Cut cauliflower head into bite-size florets. You may need to half or even quarter some florets. You can also use 20 ounces of pre-cut florets or frozen (thawed, drained and dried) cauliflower.
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the miso paste, soy sauce, water, oil, garlic, maple syrup and black pepper until smooth. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the mixture in a small bowl and set aside.
- Add the cauliflower and toss well to combine. Marinate for at least 10 minutes at room temperature (preferably 30 minutes) or cover and refrigerate overnight. If refrigerating, drain off any excess liquid before proceeding.
- To oven roast the cauliflower, transfer the cauliflower to the prepared baking sheet and roast until tender and slightly charred, about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove from the oven and cool slightly then brush with reserved marinade. Garnish with sliced scallions and serve immediately.
- To air fry the cauliflower, preheat an air fryer to 400F and transfer the marinated cauliflower to the basket. Spray lightly with cooking spray and cook until golden brown and slightly charred, 8-10 minutes. Carefully remove from the basket and brush with reserved marinade and garnish with scallions.
Notes
- Store leftover miso cauliflower in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Enjoy right out of the refrigerator or reheat in the oven or air fryer.
- If you don’t want charred cauliflower, roast in the oven for about 25 minutes, stirring halfway, or air fry for about 8 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- You can swap out fresh garlic for ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.
- It’s important to drain off any excess liquid from the cauliflower before cooking.Â
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Sides
- Method: Roasting/Air Fry
- Cuisine: American/Japanese
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